Small Purveyors Battle Bigger Rivals as Each Tries to Top the Others in Food Gimmicks

WEST ALLIS, Wis.—John Kalashian dunked globs of macaroni and cheese into a gurgling fryer, then popped them onto a paper plate and dusted them with a bacon-and-pepper concoction.

"People are looking for something new and exciting," said the owner of Catfish Johnny's, one of nearly 200 food vendors at the Wisconsin State Fair this summer. The 59-year-old owner of an automotive upholstery shop said he depended on the allure of his "deep-fried pepper jack and bacon macaroni and cheese on a stick" to woo...